On the night of April 14, 1856 Abraham Lincoln accompainied by his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, and an officer, Major Henry R. Rathbone, with his fiancee, Clara Harris attended a special preformance of "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater on Tenth street.

The assassin was John Wilkes Booth.

Booth had gotten passed the gaurd outside the presidential box in which Lincoln was watching the show, and then drew out a pistol and shot Lincoln.

One reason for Booth's actions was revenge for the South, by taking matters into his own hands.

The bullet entered through Lincoln's left ear and was lodged behind his right eye, thus paralyzing the president.

A doctor quickly came to the box and then rushed the president across the street to a nearby hospital.

At 7:22am on April 15, 1856, Abraham Lincoln was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, Booth was being sought after, later being shot and capturedwhile hiding in a barn near Bowling Greens, Virginia.